The scoop: A tablespoon of viscous molasses—a by-product of sugarcane processing—packs about 15 percent of the daily iron requirement for premenopausal women, as well as vitamin B6, magnesium, calcium, and more antioxidants than any other natural sweetener.

How to enjoy it: David Grotto, author of 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life!, stirs a few tablespoons into baked beans. When cooking with molasses, consider blending it with other sweeteners to temper its acidic flavor: Swanson replaces up to half the sugar in a recipe; every cup of sugar removed becomes 1¼ cups molasses. She also cuts the liquid by up to ⅓ cup and adds 1 tsp. baking soda per cup of molasses.*

* When baking with agave, honey, or molasses, lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees to avoid overbrowning.